Arizona, Ingrid's Corner

Trouble with the Dream

by Ingrid

Whenever I hear the phrase ‘your living the dream’, I do a slight cringe. Dream? Hmm! Living full-time in a RV was never a dream of mine. Al and I decided to move into the RV full-time on a whim four years ago with the intent of traveling for a year or two before finding a home base. And here we are, into year five of full-time RV living and still rolling along. We haven’t found that home base just yet, but we’re still searching and getting closer every day in narrowing down our choices.

south rim Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park – south rim

I have to admit, full-time RVing is an adventurous lifestyle that is filled with highs as well as lows. And the highs are indeed like a dream …. gorgeous scenery, beautiful weather, birdingand the forging of new friendships makes this lifestyle somewhat addictive.

What’s not to love? Perhaps that’s why we haven’t looked too hard for that home base.

But those lows? Ah, yes …. those lows sure don’t feel like I’m living a dream. Feels more like a nightmare and not one where I’ll wake up thankfully realizing all is well.

Nope, no waking up from a bad travel day. Instead, we find ourselves digging deep for the energy and wherewithal to deal with life’s mishaps, and we try our best to keep a sense of humor about us …. remembering this too shall pass!

Let’s take a step back… We spent four months this past summer camped in Prescott, Arizona. It was a very enjoyable summer with very little vehicle or RV maintenance mishaps. Al did have an issue with the F-250 back in May, but after some service, it pulling a fifth wheelworked great all summer long which included a bunch of trips back and forth to Phoenix in the excessive heat to visit our children.

Tidbit – there’s about a 3,000-foot elevation change between Prescott and Phoenix, Arizona, meaning there’s quite the hill climbing necessary heading north on Interstate 17 from Phoenix. When temperatures exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit, overheating vehicle engines are quite common. Thus, we were thrilled the Big Dog handled those drives without incident, but remember, we weren’t pulling the RV during those Phoenix excursions.

camping near the Grand Canyon
Our son joined us for a few days. Good times around a campfire!

Once the calendar flipped to September 1st, it was time to lift the jacks and get the wheels rolling. We moved up to the Kaibab National Forest located just south of the Grand Canyon and enjoyed a near-perfect week camped in a pine forest surrounded by wildlife. Our son even drove up from Phoenix to spend a few days with us.

bull elk
one of our neighbors strolling by our campsite
Coyote
This neighbor serenaded us at two in the morning. Al and I were amused – son not so much!

Considering it was the Labor Day Weekend, we were pleasantly surprised with the lack of crowds (that is, in comparison to other times of the year) and we considered ourselves lucky to snag such a beautiful campsite.

If it hadn’t been for Al’s dental appointment back in Prescott, we would’ve stayed another week, that’s how much we loved our little spot in the Kaibab National Forest.

squirrel
Don’t be dissing one of my relatives!

But alas, Al needed a tooth dealt with. A week earlier, he woke up with an abscess which made him look like he was storing nuts for the winter. His name quickly changed from Al to Alvin … as in, Alvin and the chipmunks 😆

With a round of antibiotics completed, it was time for a root canal and crown. I’m sure you can imagine how thrilled Al was!

Medical emergencies of any kind while living a mobile lifestyle are always stressful. Will we find a Doctor or Dentist who can see us right away? What kind of care and follow-up can we expect, not to mention the cost? In my opinion, this is the biggest concern about full-time RVing. I can deal with maintenance issues much easier than medical issues. And don’t even get me started on the problems with insurance!

Speaking of maintenance issues; so after our glorious week near the Grand Canyon, it was time to hitch up and take what should’ve been an easy non-eventful two-and-a-half-hour drive back to Prescott.

Grand Canyon camping

On travel day morning, I noticed a tire on my little red truck looked low. This was the perfect scenario for Al to try out his new air compressor – Viair 450P Automatic Function Portable Compressor. I bought this Viair compressor last spring for Al’s birthday. Fortunately, at the time Amazon was doing a Prime deal on it. This was the first time we took the compressor out of the package.

portable air compressor

We had a bit of a Frick and Frack moment when we failed to remove the red plug for air intake. Duh! But in our defense, the instructions made no mention of removing the plug. So what should’ve taken five minutes to add ten pounds of pressure to my low tire, took a tad over thirty minutes.

portable Viair air compressor

After a good laugh, it was time to hitch up the 5th wheel. Al positioned the truck and slowly backed toward the hitch. I flipped or rather tried to flip the switch to raise the front landing jacks. Hmm! The switch wouldn’t move. With my nifty little hand singles, I stopped Al from backing any further and walked up to the driver’s side door. I proceeded to tell Al the switch wouldn’t work.

Al begins to tell me how the switch works. SERIOUSLY, dude dear husband!!!  We’ve only owned this RV for the past seven years and hooked and unhooked this RV a few hundred times. I think by now, I know how the dang switch works. Not in a mood to argue, in my sweetest voice I ask, “I’m sorry honey, but I’m just not sure how it works. Could you please show me?” My man to the rescue. Al walks over to the RV and tries to move the switch. “Ugh, the switch won’t move”, he says in a rather perplexed tone. “No sh*t Sherlock”, I declared in a less than amused tone!

5th wheel landing jacks
Me getting in an upper body workout hand cranking the front landing jacks up!

Like a couple of RVing newbies, we stared at the switch then at the round hole in the side of the RV. “Isn’t there a hand crank that fits in that hole?”

Coyote
Hey, you guys need any help?

Kaibab National Forest

We were an hour and a half behind our self-imposed schedule, but still smiling as we waved goodbye to our neighbors and campsite. A few deep breaths and fifteen miles later, we had settled nicely into the drive heading south on Route 64 toward the town of Williams. Since we were traveling with two vehicles, we used our walkie-talkies to stay in regular communication.

Arizona state route 64

Just when I thought all our troubles were behind us, Al radios me and says the truck stalled and he’ll be coming to a stop 😨 Let’s turn on our flashers/hazard lights!

Let me explain a little something about Arizona State Route 64. It’s a busy two-lane road with virtually no shoulder, and it’s the only route to or from the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Thus, one can expect lots of RVs, large tour buses, and plenty of traffic on this road.

sitting ducks
sitting ducks – stalled on Arizona State Route 64

Al pulled over as much as possible and I did the same, keeping a fair distance between the two of us. We were sitting ducks and I prayed traffic would see us sitting there and slow down.  The fear of being rear-ended was a constant concern. We were also concerned about oncoming traffic knowing that southbound traffic would need to go around us and there wasn’t enough space for us and the two-way traffic. In essence, we had shut down the southbound lane.

coyoteA few days earlier while Al and Logan (son) were exploring some of the back roads in the Kaibab National Forest, the truck had stalled necessitating Al to call our mechanic in Prescott.

After a few wire jiggles on an internal temperature sensor, the truck started up.

So there we were stalled on Route 64 in a very precarious situation waiting for the truck engine to cool a tad all the while Al jiggled the wires. After 15 minutes, the Big Dog started up and kept running all the way to Prescott.

Suffice it to say, by the time we arrived at our destination, we were a bit frazzled but okay plus Al was not looking forward to the next day – a morning spent in the dental chair. Good news, Al had a positive experience with Highland Dental (Dr. Bennett) and his mouth is doing just fine these days. No more Alvin and we’ve found a dental office in Arizona that we like.

But ‘living the dream‘ didn’t end here. After Al’s dental appointment, we spent the rest of our week in Prescott doing a deep interior cleaning of the RV along with taking care of the necessary truck and RV maintenance.

RV mice
We eventually found a SOS pad to wrap around our electrical cord.

Along with Mr. Elk and Wiley Coyote stopping by our boondock campsite in the Kaibab National Forest, Mickey and Minnie Mouse decided to stop by and dine on some peanut butter.

Apparently, we left the door open (electrical cord opening) and the welcome mat out (interior electrical cover plate off) for Mickey and Minnie’s easy entry. Al normally wraps steel wool around our exterior electrical cord but he misplaced it and eventually, we used a SOS pad. I also forgot about the interior electrical cover plate that had fallen off the wall (hiding behind my camera bag). Anyway, this combination provided the perfect entry for the little field mice.

Boondocking and mice are a pretty common occurrence and one we’ve come to expect, but once we get back to full hookups, it’s time for some deep cleaning and making sure our unwanted guests haven’t taken up residency.

Whew! It was an eventful and busy week which was anything but dream living. A week we’re glad is over. And now we’re onto a new location and working on living the dream. So far, so good!

south rim Grand Canyon

104 thoughts on “Trouble with the Dream”

  4. Pingback: Are we living the dream? | Follow the Tumble Lees!

  5. Sorry to hear of your troubles on the road. It seems as if difficulties come in pairs, or threes, and sometimes fours. Hoping you have many complication-free weeks ahead.

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  6. Tell Al “Good Luck” with the dentist. I needed a root canal and ended up with a fractured tooth after the procedure. We were in the Raleigh, NC area and were able to find an oral surgeon to do a dental implant. This has been a 12-month event. I will finally have my implant completed in late October. Yeah, life on the road!

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    1. Yikes, no fun that’s for sure. He gets his permanent crown put on next week. Fortunately, we planned on staying in AZ the rest of the year so distance of the dentist isn’t an issue but it definitely puts a damper on fun. Hope you’re dental ordeal is over soon!

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  7. Oh how we can relate! We’ve had a mouse in this house, twice in two different states – and never in a sticks and bricks house! And being on the side of a road with a blow out – YIKES, we were sure wondering about that dream – which this was never either of ours….but hubby did want to travel. This is just the perfect life style for us for now….You’ve inspired me to write our next post to get back in the groove….Thanks for a GREAT and clever post with amazing pictures! We are always so jealous of your photos…

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    1. I need to get back in the blogging groove myself. I have all these stories/ideas swirling in my head, but get sidetracked with the days activity and then forget what I wanted to write about 😄 We’ve had mice in the RV so many times, we’ve lost count. We figure it’s the price of boondocking in beautiful places.

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  8. Where to start. First…MEN! We aren’t daisies. We do know our “job.” Paul does the same thing. I say something doesn’t work, but unless he actually sees it not working, he thinks I am nuts. I was afraid that you were going to say that after using your honey-dripping voice, he would come back and it would work. Glad that wasn’t the case.
    Then the truck must have just about put him over the top. Why doesn’t this happen when we aren’t towing? Hope you got the issue under control.
    Now to the mice…YUCK! We have been pretty lucky. We think having Bella has really helped. We think the mice must smell her because “Thank Goodness” we haven’t see one…yet!
    Your last photo would win any photo competition. Absolutely gorgeous!!!

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    1. Yeah, I couldn’t believe Al started to explain how the switch worked. In the end, it was funny and I now tease him about it. We’re used to the mice when we boondock. However, we’ve taken care of most openings but forgot about the electrical cover plate. Hopefully, it won’t be a regular problem.

      And thank you for the compliment on my photo. That storm approaching made for an interesting sight.

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  9. So many think we live an idealistic lifestyle but we have problems just like any home. We’ve come to look at it as part of the adventure, whether it be the house or the. We’ve been lucky and our issues have been fixable but in the moment it’s aggravating especially when you’re not safely off the road. Glad you made it back to home base safely. See you next month….hoping to get some pictures of the area today.

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    1. I think it’s a huge plus when we can handle mechanical issues on our own. A handy guy is worth keeping around 😆 Dennis and Al haven’t given up the idea of Texas in January. Dennis is working diligently on options but still waiting to hear if he’s got water damage on his RV stored in Lamar. We’ll see! Look forward to seeing/hearing your update on the Gulf Coast and glad your lot survived unscathed.

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  10. Thanks for sharing the ups and downs of the rv lifestyle. In reality, they aren’t a lot different than the ups and downs in “traditional life style”. House and vehicle maintenance and break downs compared to rv and truck breakdowns. I do admit it is more “testing” on you in the rv lifestyle because of obvious reasons. Glad Al’s tooth issue came out good!

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    1. Life is life whether living a mobile lifestyle or stationary one. However, I do think the mobile lifestyle presents a lot more challenges especially when it comes to health or mechanical issues. But somehow, we figure it out and get back to the journey after solving the problems. I know you can relate 🙂

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  11. I made a list the other day of things that need repairing on our rig…it’s getting long! Mostly minor, but it’s definitely an ongoing thing. Oh, well…the reward is worth the effort! I will say, that roadside breakdown is scary stuff though, Ingrid! Glad you and Al got moving safely.

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    1. Being stalled on the road was probably the worst. If the truck could’ve cruised another mile, there was a gravel pull-out which certainly would’ve been less stressful. Our RV is getting to an age where we’ll need to start replacing items. So like you, our maintenance list is growing. It’ll keep us busy when we sit for 3 months starting in October. Hopefully, we’ll know soon in what direction we point the rig come January.

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  13. Once again I’m so glad we gave up “the dream” and landed. Of course, I did just put in a brand new AC unit in our Arizona home, but with a 30 year old park model that’s not so unexpected. But at least I wasn’t sitting on the side of the highway…or rather in the middle of it.

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    1. You two probably had one of the scariest scenarios an RVer could ever experience and I get why the need for change. I’m so glad you found ‘home’ and you’re enjoying every minute. Dreams are ever changing. The spice of life!

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  14. Oh my goodness can Don & I relate! It’s like you were riding along with us. It is stressful when these mishaps happen & I’ve often asked myself “What the heck were we thinking when we ventured out as road gypsies?” But then the scenery, the friends, & all the new adventures make up for it.

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    1. These mishaps are all part of the adventure, but there are times, I could definitely use less ‘adventure’. And I too have wondered, ‘whatever were we thinking’. But then, we experience such a wonderful week in the Kaibab National Forest and somehow it makes it all worthwhile. Gotta take the bad along with the good! Such is life 😎

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  15. Ha ha. Of course you can look back and chuckle now, I hope. Great reality check. I suspect RV life is not for the lethargic or perpetually somnambulant.

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    1. Yep, we can chuckle about it now, but in the midst of things, it’s anything but funny. The RV lifestyle does indeed take a fair amount of energy and physicality and is not for a somnambulist (admit, I had to look that one up 😆)

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  17. Ingrid … so sorry to hear of the “challenges” you guys faced! But I know team Team Hubbard was up to the task and good to hear you are back rolling again. Beautiful pics and great storytelling … Happy Trails!

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  18. It’s so good to tell the pros and cons of the RV lifestyle…the more you know, the better.

    By the way, I love Williams, I don’t know what it’s like these days but we were there 10 years ago and it was fabulous. One of the best Route 66 cities we traveled through. We met with the proprietor of the Red Garter Inn and got a tour. They were booked up but we always planned to go back one day and stay there and take in the Grand Canyon via the train.

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    1. Williams has done such a fantastic job in playing up the Route 66 theme. I love it! We ate breakfast at the Red Garter Inn and I looked into reservations there for a future trip with my daughter, but they book up well in advance. I’ve recommended Williams, the Red Garter Inn, and the train ride to a few people. A very fun excursion for anyone interested in visiting the Grand Canyon.

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  20. We set out in 2014 in our RV with the intentions of living in it for at least 7 years before we would find another little permanent house to settle into. Last year, we moved into a house, and are now only travelling during the winters. The past few days I’ve been wondering what happened to the dream we were supposed to be living. Despite being able to relate to some of the ‘bad’ from your post, including failed lifting legs (the inside mechanisms failed and the legs had to be completely replaced), today I’m thinking, ‘where did our dream evaporate to’. I’m wondering if we can rekindle somehow. Your post was very timely, and today I’m hankering for the good and the bad that goes with full time RVing. For me, the hardest thing to deal with is sometimes it’s difficult with legal things that need to be dealt with while being of ‘no fixed address.’ Your post has put a tear of nostalgia in my eye. The good far outways the bad, doesn’t it.

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    1. I hadn’t realized you were now part-time, which I think would be ideal. We bought our RV brand new and the original landing jacks failed on our second outing. The dealership tried to tell us we did something wrong but in the end they replaced them via the warranty, but it’s something we haven’t forgotten. Thankfully this failure was in the switch and relatively easy for us to replace.

      Yeah, there’s lots of issues living a mobile lifestyle. The health insurance thing for me has been one of my biggest problems. Hubby is of an age where he’s covered, but not me … I’m still a youngen 😆

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      1. We’re trying to establish a routine of being away often. This winter was great 4 months away. It’s still winters weather yet though, so we know we came back a month earlier. We’ll try and get away for some shorter summer breaks too once puppy settles. We’re trading to bigger tow vehicle soon, that should provide added motivation.

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    1. I knew the week was too perfect and something was bound to happen. I remember your frustrating issues with the truck. Mechanical problems really put a damper on the adventure, but I guess that’s all part of it. Fortunately, we get a little wiser with each mishap … or so we think 😉

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  22. I can certainly relate. We bought a used F-350 recently which unbeknownst to us, had a previous major electrical short. After several trips to the dealership for various issues we thought it was all good. Nope! We had the rig all ready to move, hitched it up, put the truck in drive and the trailer brakes immediately locked up. Unhooked the plug and it was fine. We were able to move just 6″! Got it back in it’s spot thankfully. But we HAD to be in southern CA the next day for a work project. So, we quickly went into hyper-drive throwing clothes and toiletries into plastic garbage bags (our suitcase is in the storage unit), getting a dog sitter at last notice, and making overnight hotel accommodations. We did take the 350 to our work site as it was already loaded with our tools. But it went right back to the dealer upon our return. Yep, the dream has it’s own reality too…

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    1. Oh, how frustrating! Sounds like you know how to be flexible and move on to a plan B, but I know how that too can be challenging. Nothing worse than having equipment you can’t trust. Here’s to overcoming mechanical issues!

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  23. Oh so sorry about all the mechanical and rodent issues! But we’re having more issues with the house right now than the RV, and that always seems to be the case for us. A thirty-year-old house always seems to have plenty of issues come up. I seem to take the occasional issues with the RV much more in stride, but I’m not living in it either. I’m sure that’s quite frustrating, and I never, ever like being broken down anywhere on the highway, for sure. Glad you’re all safe and sound again!

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    1. Whether it’s a stationary home or a mobile one, there’s always plenty of upkeep and maintenance. But I do think it can be a bit more challenging when things go wrong with the RV because of the unknown location and sometimes precarious situations. Hope you managed to squeeze in a couple of outings in the MH in between house projects. Did you know, it’s a sin to leave an RV sit too long 😆

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  24. My husband’s sister and husband sold their house and traveled full time for years. We visited several times, and the bug never bit us. We camped for several years and enjoyed every minute of it, but always came back home. I can certainly understand how the medical challenges could get even more complicated as we all age. When a regular vehicle has issues, it is one thing. When a big rig stops along a busy highway, that’s a whole other chapter. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time on the road and that everything goes well. 🙂 I’m sure your honest assessment of traveling full time helps a lot of other people assess what they want to do.

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    1. This lifestyle certainly isn’t for everyone and I do like to point out the realities from time to time. I thinks it’s easy to get caught up writing about all the upsides and it makes it look like we’re ‘living the dream’. But life is life and sh*t happens 😆

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    1. You sure are right about that … life is life no matter where or how one lives. Lots of coffee and chocolate brought a smile back to my face after that rough day/week 😁

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  26. The RV mantra….if it’s not one thing, it’s 10 more. So glad you made it safe though. 2 lane roads would not be fun to be broke down on. And hey…congrats. I saw one of your photos was photo if the day on outdoor photographer.

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    1. You are so right about the RV mantra. Thank you so much Mary for letting me know about my photo on Outdoor Photographer. I did not see it due to weak internet…. can’t always open a post when my signal is weak. Pretty cool to see my photo on the site.

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  27. Ingrid, I love your honesty in this blog post, while I do not live in my RV I can see how you can get to those very bad days. I look forward to exploring the US in our RV full time for a few years, but I know that I do not want my RV to be my forever home. I shared a couple of mishaps that occurred on my blog post “With the good, you sometimes have to overcome the bad.” Please read it one day when you need a good laugh. Thank you for the smile. I loved your little visitors and look forward to following your adventures.

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    1. Oh dear, the thought of the RV being my ‘forever’ home is indeed a nightmare. I’m hoping to switch to part-time RVing in the next few years. For now, we’re still enjoying the mobile life and don’t want to be bogged down with a property. So many more highs than lows 😊

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  28. Ingrid,
    I so agree with you that being on the road isn’t always a dream. If it isn’t something wrong with the motorhome then it is our car in tow. For example, last week I drove down to Tempe from Prescott Valley to have lunch with my daughter. When I went to leave, the car wouldn’t start and AAA couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. After much jiggling of the key in the ignition the Ford Focus finally started in the 111 degree heat. Up in Prescott the ignition fix cost $800..very upsetting. But the last 5 months and 11,000 miles of our Bucket Trip has made it all worthwhile. By the way if anyone needs a good oral surgeon in Rapid City, SD I highly recommend Black Hills Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at http://www.BHOralSurgery.com. I had the same tooth issue as Al and after an extraction of a molar and lots of hydrocodone, I had a great day visiting Mt. Rushmore!
    Happy Travels,
    Nancy

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    1. A huh … so there was a legitimate problem with the car. Hope the car won’t act up for you like that again. Nice to know you had a good dental experience in SD. All the highs in this lifestyle seem to far outweigh the lows. Take care and I’m sure we’ll be meeting up for lunch in Phoenix sometime this winter.

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    2. Nice to hear from you Carol. I know you can relate to all this. You two certainly had plenty of mishaps during your caravaning days. And yes it was wonderful to visit with our son over a campfire. Hope you’re enjoying that home!

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  30. Ingrid I really appreciate your honesty in showing both sides of the lifestyle. So many amazing moments but I can see that in times of medical or mechanical issues life would be very challenging. Hoping the road ahead is filled with far more dreams than nightmares.

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  31. I had to laugh when I read your first sentence because I posted to friends on FB that we closed on our house mid August (SOLD!) and are on the road fulltime until at least April and one friend commented “living the dream”. It seems many people want to vicariously live this lifestyle through us because it really is a huge undertaking to turn your life upside down after almost 30 years in one house to make it happen. Most people don’t want it as much as we did. We have traveled over 3000 miles in the past month and are settled back in El Paso County until we leave again Nov 1st for warmer climes. We have 2 months in Tucson booked for Feb and March. Woohoo! Not much winter for us this year. We’ll see whether it’s still our dream after 6 months on the road until we return to Colorado in April.

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    1. Careful … the lifestyle is addictive. Bet you won’t be ready for a sticks n bricks house for a while. 3,000 in a month is way too much. Slow down! You’ll learn the term “living on RV time”. Enjoy and keep me posted on your journey!

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      1. Will do. We are discovering that it works better if we stay somewhere for at least a week so we have time for everyday “stuff” and time to relax and explore without the hitching, moving, unhitching of travel days. 200-225 miles seems ideal. 325 was too much! Replanning Dec-Jan to stay in one place longer and use it as a base for area travel. We’ll find our rhythm. Enjoy Arizona. Here’s to very few bad days. Glad your recent one is behind you.

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  33. Some days/weeks are like that! Yes, for us health issues have been one of the least pleasant things to deal with on the road. Good to know about Highland Dental in Prescott.

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    1. I know you guys have dealt with your own health issues and it really puts a damper on the RV lifestyle. We were pleased with Highland dental and actually have appts in early October for cleanings. We decided to forgo our Mexico dental visit and go to Prescott instead. A tad more $ but possibly worth it.

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  34. I love your blogs. We were on the road 6 1/2 yrs. Hubby was a place and I miss the travels. We had the same problems you have, but you just deal with and move on. Seeing new sights, meeting new friends and seeing a different place in the mornings are well worth it. Keep on truckin’. I’m following.

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    1. Thank you Dee. Seems like we have a lot in common … my hubby doesn’t embrace the travel as much as I do. Thus, the thoughts of part-timing versus full-timing have been floating around our RV lately. We’ll see what the next year brings 😀

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  35. Enjoyed the post, sorry for the troubles you had. We have had our front jack fuses go out several times, keep those well stocked now! We still love our Laredo that is just like yours! It is perfect for the two of us. Husband is retired now, but I have LESS THAN 4 YEARS and then we are hitting the road. So I just love all your pictures from your travels and your stories.

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    1. We played around with the fuses first, hoping that was the issue. Alas, it was the switch. We still love our Laredo and I’m hoping to do a little remodeling this winter … just to freshen up the look of the windows, etc. It’s a great rig.

      I’m sure you’re counting down!

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  37. Glad it all worked out!
    Our mantra is…..life goes on whether we are living in a sticks and bricks or are mobile and living on the road. Currently for us a balance between the two is working great, we just departed home base for our fourth winter on the road, although we continue to have rodent problems no matter where we are living 😦

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    1. When we had our truck mechanic in Prescott fix the truck, he pointed out some debris from mice in the engine area. He then recommended we buy some lion dung – seriously. I guess Heritage Zoo in Prescott and Out of Africa in Cottonwood sell it regularly. Put a little in a sock and hang it somewhere and it’ll keep mice, pack rats, rabbits, as well as most other critters away. Haven’t tried it yet.

      Safe travels and hope to bump into you guys one of these days!

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  38. Next time someone calls it living the dream, I shall redirect them to this post. It does seem hunky dory till you point out the reality that you guys live with everyday when you are out on the road – which goes to show that you are putting in effort to live the ‘dream’, so before anyone says that they envy you, they might as well keep that thing in mind. It is akin to looking at someone’s svelte body and saying that you envy him/her without realising that the amount of daily effort that goes into keeping it toned. Cheers.

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    1. Our RV lifestyle does entail energy and effort and certainly is not for everyone. We’ve had some amazing experiences, that are so worth a few mishaps here and there. But like you pointed out, there’s a reality 😎

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  39. Life on the road is a dream…most of the time:) I have to agree that medical issues are the biggest concern. So far we have been very lucky and found excellent care in California, Florida, and Nevada. Those mechanical issues are such a nuisance since for us especially. it involves turning over our house. But I must knock on wood and say so far we have been very fortunate. So very glad that all your issues worked out and you made it safely from point to point. Love how you handled the switch issue! Awesome photos of that beautiful bull elk and that darn cute coyote:)

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    1. We had such a great week that it did make me wonder, ‘something is bound to go wrong’. I always love the wildlife and we really scored during this stay. We even had some hilarious moments with the mice … a first for our son. Fun times and worth a mishap here and there ☺

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  40. Doesn’t it seem like whenever one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong? I guess it’s good in some ways because you get it all over with at once. Hopefully you have clear sailing from here on in 🙂 And I just dealt with some dental issues so I feel for Al but fortunately I didn’t have to try and find a new dentist.

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    1. Hopefully, we’ve taken care of enough issues for a while. You’re right, mishaps seem to come in bunches. Hope your mouth is doing much better as well. We actually had plans to go to Mexico this winter for general dental cleaning, but Al’s teeth had other plans 😉

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  41. Life does throw monkey wrenches at us all… sometimes just big one and other times a whole tool box full! I so want to visit the Grand Canyon after seeing your wonderful photos.

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    1. Love your analogy … spot on! Everyone should visit the Grand Canyon at least once. Although I’ll admit, I’ve visited other national parks that imho are more breathtaking.

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  42. We did the full time thing for five years and then bought a house in a small town with plenty of room to park our rig and I have been really enjoying it. We still travel winters but there is a certain stress relief that comes with having a stick house somewhere. Twice now we have been out with our rig and had something go and we just drove home, and fixed it at our leisure instead of feeling like we were now in crisis mode. Of course the house has generated its own set of crises. Like I was going to repaint the interior and rod the floors this summer and thus far I have only gotten half the interior painted. So you trade one set of issues for another.

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    1. I think that’s what I miss most – a place to go back to in order to regroup, take care of repairs, or medical issues. Seems like you found a good scenario even though it’s not without its own issues.

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      1. That five year mark, when the novelty wears off and disadvantages become more obvious, it’s a stamina wall. People who quit generally do so at about five years. Those who keep on after five years generally never stop.

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  43. These issues are annoying no matter where one lives, but they do seem to be intensified when they occur out on the road. Glad to hear you have moved beyond your frustrations.

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    1. Totally agree. I think the intensity stems from being in unfamiliar territory and the potential of having to deal with an unknown mechanic or doctor. Fortunately, it all ended well. As soon as we pulled back into Prescott, Ted Archer had us drop by his house to deal with the temperamental wire on our truck. Great guy!

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  44. Now that’s an interesting read, Ingrid! Let me put it this way, about “living a dream”: there are pleasant and unpleasant dreams. Well, I hope that for a long while yopu have had your share of the unpleasnat ones.
    Enjoy travelling, and stay safe,
    Pit

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    1. I’m hoping for lots more pleasant dreams in the coming months. But I acknowledge, the unpleasant days are all part of the adventure. With each mishap, we seem to learn more … more about our equipment as well as ourselves.

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  45. “You’re living the dream” is right up there with “You are so lucky”, Yet, when I suggest to people that they could do the same, there are a million excuses. Sorry you had such a crappy week, Ingrid. You are right, this lifestyle doesn’t come without its challenges. Like you, I’d rather deal with maintenance issues that health ones. This did also pass, luckily, and I’m glad vehicles and people are doing well again!

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    1. Boy, you’re right about that. The other one we’ve heard over the years is “must be nice”, as if luck had anything to do with our lifestyle. Looks like you guys are enjoying that new little RV.

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  46. I have a home base in TX for half the year, travel the other half, but I can identify with your “dream”!! 🙂 The medical thing is a bummer, espeically trying to get a new dentist visit who will do only one “cleaning” visit with my previous xrays cause I’m not going to be back!! I’ve found a small-town dentist MIGHT do this, big-town dentists, no way. Dealing with heat waves is also no fun 😦

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    1. I like the idea of a home base for half the year and travel the other half. We just aren’t sure where we’d like that home base. We do enjoy TX but our kids live in AZ. Time will tell and it’ll be nice to establish some medical relationships.

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  47. Don’t you just hate times like that. It does make one appreciate the smoother times however. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. I’m very grateful for those smooth sailing travel days. When we decided we wanted adventure, perhaps we should’ve been more specific 😁

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  48. I suppose your truck and trailer repairs on the road really aren’t any more annoying than truck/house repairs around here, but they sure seem like it. Days like that really test your mettle, don’t they.

    Sounds like you survived with Grace.

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